Tatiana and Olga 2010

Thursday, September 29, 2016

In honor of Charlotte Brontë 's 200th birthday , The Morgan Library in New York is having, what can only be called an historic exhibit. On display , for the first time in American, are both the George Richmond 1850 portrait of Charlotte and the famous" column" portrait of the three sister by their brother Branwell.

I never expected they would leave the UK. Branwell's portrait of his three sisters is usually always on display at the National Portrait Galley in London. But because it is subject to fading, the 1850 chalk portrait of CB Richmond is not normally on display even in the UK...but here it is in New York!

Charlotte Brontë by George Richmond 1850

This is the actual picture that hung in the Parsonage from 1850- 61 and then spent 40 years in the Irish home of Charlotte's husband, Arthur Bell Nicholls. This is the portrait he asked to have brought up to his bedroom as he laid dying in 1906. It was there as he spoke his last words." Charlotte, Charlotte" over fifty years after her own passing

Arthur Bell Nicholls bequeathed this precious portrait to the nation and it has been at the National Portrait Galley since...now until Jan 2nd 2017, it hangs in New York

Also in Arthur's home, but unbeknownst to anyone until years after his passing, was the column portrait. Today we have seen these images so many times, it's hard to imagine at time when they were unknown or not housed in museums.

Branwell's column painting of his sisters

The column (so nicknamed because Branwell's ghostly , painted out figure makes a column) was found folded up on top of a wardrobe. ABN's 2nd wife, Mary Anna , who resided in the home for 40 years as well. She had never seen it before and did not know of it. It's interesting to ponder on the very different treatment these two pictures received. I rather think Arthur found the painting of the three teenage Brontë girls painful, knowing their fates, and this is why it was folded away and nearly forgotten.

The Richmond however shows CB with a happy expression ...it is amazing to see in person. It's unlike any of the dozens of its prints I have seen in books, postcards and such. I can understand Arthur's love for it . Charlotte's lovableness is there But these two pictures are just the beginning of this marvelous exhibit. Also on display is the manuscript of " Jane Eyre" , from the British Museum, one of Charlotte's dresses from Haworth Parsonage...actually I simply should just post a list, because it's rather stunning how much there is for the Brontë fan to feast upon. I was asked to give my impressions of the show, but really it was too overwhelming for me to do so in a sensible manner! The Morgan has its own impressive collection of Brontë documents ....well let me just post the list. It is not complete

Branwell's column painting of his sisters
The CB 1850 Richmond portraitBoth in the USA for the first time
CB 's 1850 London dress/ little blue flower print

close up of CB's dress

CB's bootsa 1856 copy of CB's birth registry
Patrick's copy of of the certificate of registry for CB's marriage
( these are church copies of the documents in their records)
CB and ABN's Marriage license
CBN's will
Letters from CB to William S. William about the passing
of Branwell and Anne's decline
An copy book from Charlotte's Brussels school days
The famous water color portrait of Anne in profile done by CB
The Misses Brontë 's Establishment handout
Funeral cards for Branwell, Emily and Charlotte
A copy Partick Brontë 's cottage poems
A copy of Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell book of poems

Father and daughter publications

CB's handwritten manuscript of " Jane Eyre"
CB's handwritten manuscript of " The Professor"
CB's earliest known production...1829 " book for Ann"
A manuscript of Anne's poetry
A manuscript of Emily poetryA story in Branwell's hand
Oldest photo of the Parsonage
CB's Roe Head diary
CB's 1829 list of " what I written so far" "
Tales of the Islanders" etc.
CB's Writing desk

Charlotte Brontë 's writing desk

CB's Paint box
Mary Taylor's personal copy of Jane Eyre, CB sent
to New Zealand and Mary's letter to CB about it
Contemporary published editions of all the sister's books
sermon notes of PB from 1811 based on Mathew 3:11
A good many drawings
little men magazines
CB's Atlas
Photo of Arthur Bell Nicholls
Photo of Rev Brontë
Rev Brontë 's copy of the book of Common Prayer
One of Patrick 's letters where he sent snippets of CB 's
hand writing upon request

We will not see such a collection in one place perhaps until Charlotte's 300th birthday!

The exhibit is open until Jan 2nd 2017. Don't miss it !

Brontë Novel Update

This Dec will be four years since I felt the call to begin my Brontë novel. I have been writing it continually since. I believe my hope was eventually the scenes would eventually meet up to create the book! But that's not how it goes. You have to create a whole from the parts and they are different entities altogether. I'm learning all this on the job. Right now I am putting everything I have written in chronological order.

Scenes still come in almost daily and I write them down. I always
put a year and a title to whatever thought comes though...otherwise even
I would have a difficult time always placing the scene in its proper place
within the Bronte story!

When I take the " just plunge in "
approach to such an endeavor I tend to not think too much about the process . It
seems like trying to capture a butterfly by chasing it . Wiser to stay
still and observe as it lands on one's sleeve. Eventually, however, you must deal with the process , but by then one has something to work with. Now I can sense
the book is ready to be shaped
and I'm looking forward to pulling these scenes together into one piece.

In my exploration of both painting and writing, projects advance when the task becomes fun, and not a job I should do. When it's fun, you have
an energy that is absent from a chore . Every chick must leave its shell,
but only when ready

I periodically reread Charlotte' s major letters and I find the practice invaluable. They haven't changed over time , but one's perceptive does...and I have learned to really read again items I have read many times over the years ...we tend to think we know the contents and glace them over it. In this way gems are missed. Some of CB's letters one must study word for word. She says everything, but often it's hidden in an understament.

FUN!!!

I'm not painting at the moment since I want to get this book in shape. However I did paint a pretend transom for over our front door( the original was covered over! ) and will post a photo when it is installed. I decided to make it as real as possible. I hope it will fool the eye for at least a few moments !I do plan to paint other Romanov pictures in the future , but it's full stream Bronte novel right now Okay, back to work!